In this Sicilian-inspired pasta dish, sweet fennel and raisins team up with toasty breadcrumbs and pine nuts to bring warmth and dimension to canned sardines. White wine and saffron add a sunny floral quality that brightens the dish even more. Like many sardine recipes, this one proves that you can transform a handful of pantry ingredients into a full dinner-party-worthy meal.
Any sardines packed in oil will work here, but for the richest, most luxurious flavor, opt for sardines packed in olive oil. If you prefer a thicker, chewier pasta, reach for the bucatini, but if spaghetti is what you have, it will also work perfectly well.
What you’ll need
Sardines Packed in Olive Oil
$30 At Amazon
Pine Nuts
$19 At Amazon
Saffron
$10 At Burlap and Barrel
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Makes 4 main-course servings
Ingredients
1
⅛
½
½
1
1
½
2
1
½
⅓
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Finely chop fennel bulb. Combine saffron, raisins, and wine in a bowl.
Step 2
Cook onion, fennel bulb, and seeds in oil with salt to taste in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Add wine mixture and half of sardines, breaking sardines up with a fork, and simmer 1 minute.
Step 4
While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in a colander.
Step 5
Toss hot pasta in a bowl with fennel sauce, remaining sardines, fennel fronds, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Add bread crumbs and toss again.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in the March 2002 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our favorite pasta recipes→